


Not As It Seems

by TheGoodGirl17



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Child Abuse, Gen, Self-Harm
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-09
Updated: 2015-12-31
Packaged: 2018-04-19 22:24:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4763258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGoodGirl17/pseuds/TheGoodGirl17
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What would have happened had the events of Halloween in 1981 gone very differently? Watch as Harry begins his journey through Hogwarts along with a new, yet familiar, face.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, everyone! My name is Evelyn Grace and I'm so glad you're here. This is my first fanfiction, so any constructive criticism is welcome (and encouraged!).  
> All characters, places, and spells that are recognizable belong to the illustrious J. K. Rowling, not me. This is solely for entertainment purposes and I'm not making money from this.
> 
> Italics are flashbacks and thoughts.
> 
> Please enjoy!

Running. Always running.  
_A high, cold laugh sounded in my ears making my blood run cold._  
She couldn't go back; she couldn't stop for even a moment.  
_Footsteps sounded on the stairs, and she knew her husband was dead._  
She had to keep running.  
_The door opened to reveal her worst nightmare._  
Eventually, her breathing began to falter as the shock and adrenalin wore off, leaving her vulnerable to her wounds and the frigid night air.  
_The ruby eyes filled with malicious amusement as she leveled her wand at him, prepared to duel._  
She looked back to see the life she'd built getting smaller and smaller.  
_She knew she couldn't win, but she had to try. She had to protect her son._  
She knew that it was better this way, in the end. She knew she wasn't supposed to live.  
_"Expelliarmus," he drawled lazily, disarming her and leaving her defenseless._  
She ran faster and faster, trying to outrun the memories.  
_She pleaded with him to let her son live. She would die, but he needed to live. He laughed again, sending chills down her spine._  
Tears stung her cheeks as her legs gave out beneath her. She was many miles away from her home, her heart, her son. She knew she would risk the life of her son if she ever went back to who she was.  
"Conditionalis Illusio," she whispered, pointing her wand at herself. She laid down in a nook between two trees as she felt the magic settle around her.  
_I will see you again_ , she thought, drifting to the edge of consciousness.  
_"Avada Kedavra."_  
And everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's short, but it's just the prologue!  
> Please leave a review along with your House affiliation. I will be awarding Hour points and will post the standings with every chapter.  
> Regular reviews = 5pts.  
> Constructive criticism = 10pts.  
> Flames = -5pts.


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All characters, places, and spells that are recognizable belong to the illustrious J. K. Rowling, not me. This is solely for entertainment purposes and I'm not making money from this.
> 
> Italics are flashbacks and thoughts.
> 
> Please enjoy!

Kings Cross Station was swarming with people on the morning of September 1st, 1991. People waved to loved ones, checked their tickets, and hurried to their respective destinations. No one noticed a small, dark-haired boy standing alone looking lost and utterly alone.

Harry James Potter stood in the midst of the throngs trying desperately to hold back his tears. His Uncle Vernon had dropped him off at the station on his way to work, _("I won't go out of my way to encourage your freakishness, boy!")_ laughed at him, _("Platform 9 3/4? Ha! Utter rubbish, if you ask me...")_ and left him stranded with no money, three hours before the train was scheduled to leave.

Harry swiped the tears from his eyes, sinking down to sit against his cart. He winced as he put pressure on the welts that were all along his back and bottom. He closed his eyes as he remembered the previous night's "conversation" with Vernon Dursley.

_After a solid half hour of being whipped with the thick leather belt, Harry lay still on the ground. He was breathing heavily, but careful to make no noises; conscious, but only hanging onto it by his fingertips. He had known it was coming, but that didn't change how much it hurt.  
"Boy," Uncle Vernon sneered, still holding the belt as an unspoken threat, "tomorrow you will find your way to your platform and go off to that freakish school of yours by yourself. I'll not waste any of my precious time on you. Oh, and if you tell any of those freaks about this," he added maliciously, shaking the belt a bit, "just know that I won't be there to pick you up after they send you back for being even more of a freak than they are."_

_Now,_ he thought, _I won't have to worry about being sent back. I can't even find the platform!_ Ten minutes before the train was supposed to set off for Hogwarts, he was standing hopelessly in the middle of the station not even knowing where to look. He was startled from his thoughts by a hoot from his snowy owl, Hedwig.

"What is it, girl?" he asked quietly. She once again hooted and cocked her head, as if she were looking over his shoulder. Harry turned his head, not really expecting anything, and saw a young girl coming toward him. She looked to be about his age, with red hair falling in curls to her shoulders. She had on a pretty green dress with a bow that matched. It also matched her eyes and the clip in her hair. However, what really caught his attention was the fact that she was pushing a cart that held both a trunk and an owl cage.

"Hogwarts?" she said in a light, melodic voice as she came to a stop next to him, gifting him with a smile. He nodded to her, and her smile grew wider. "It's my first year too," she told him, her bright eyes twinkling with excitement, "Are you having trouble finding Platform 9 3/4?" Harry's cheeks pinked as he nodded and dropped his gaze to the floor in embarrassment.

She leaned forward and he flinched almost imperceptibly before leaning in as well. "The entrance to the platform is very well hidden so the Muggles don't wander into it by accident," she whispered conspiratorially.

"So you know where it is?" he whispered back, trying to tone down the immense relief he felt at her obvious knowledge.

"Yep," she said with a wink, before turning and walking away from him. It took Harry a moment to realise he was expected to follow her, but he caught up rather quickly. They walked in silence for a few moments before he decided to break it.

"What's your name?" he asked her in a soft, hesitant voice.

"I'm Loraina Philips. What's yours?"

"My name's Harry. Harry Potter."

"Nice to meet you," she said, looking back at him long enough to flash him another smile, and he felt one creep up on his face in return. Then she stopped suddenly at the brick wall that separated Platforms 9 and 10. She shot a wicked grin at him before turning back and running toward the brick wall at full speed. Harry barely had time give a wordless shout before realising that she had vanished into thin air.

Harry looked around. He couldn't see her anywhere. _Well, she said that she knew where it was, right?_ he thought, trying to convince himself. Before he could talk himself out of it, he charged forward with his eyes screwed shut. He braced himself for the pain, but it never came.

He hesitantly opened his eyes to find hundreds of people adorned with robes, wands, and owls. He grinned from ear to ear; this was Platform 9 3/4.  
 

. 

. 

. 

Loraina had watched him come through the barrier with eyes squeezed shut and his knuckles white from his grip on the cart. Then, she saw him open his eyes slowly and take in the whole scene. She smiled fondly, looking much older than her 11-year-old body should look.

_He is so much like his mother,_ she thought wistfully. She saw him take in everything before glancing around, obviously searching for something. _And that's my cue,_ she grinned.

"Harry!" she shouted. He whipped his head around and started towards her, a grin of childish excitement gracing his features. _He's so young,_ she thought, _so, so young._

"Loraina! Wow, this is amazing! I just...everything...I can't...wow," he finally settled on, peering around at everything, including the Hogwarts Express, which sat there gleaming proudly. "Thank you for showing me the way in," he continued, a bit embarrassed, "I thought I was going to miss it."

"You're welcome," she said, not a bit put out, "I'm just glad I was there to help!" In truth, she had been watching him for a while. She had seen him go and visit the loo right as the Weasleys made their trip onto the platform. She had hoped to observe from a distance, but she couldn't help herself when she saw his eyes fill with tears. "Shall we get on the train?" she asked, bringing herself back to the present.

Harry nodded his head vigorously, which caused her to shoot him another fond smile. He helped her get her trunk and owl on the train, like a proper young gentleman. As they settled into a compartment, she watched him try (and fail) to suppress his excitement and she couldn't suppress the one thought running through her mind: _This could have been so different._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Standings:  
> Slytherin: 10  
> Ravenclaw: 5  
> Gryffindor: 0  
> Hufflepuff: 0
> 
> Please leave a review along with your House affiliation.  
> Regular reviews = 5pts.  
> Constructive criticism = 10pts.  
> Flames = -5pts.


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the long wait, everyone! Life has been busy; senior year, and all that.
> 
> All characters, places, and spells that are recognizable belong to the illustrious J. K. Rowling, not me. This is solely for entertainment purposes and I'm not making money from this.
> 
> Italics are flashbacks and thoughts.
> 
> Please enjoy!

Harry sat next to the window and watched as the countryside raced past. He couldn't believe that he was actually on his way to Hogwarts to learn about _magic_. His relatives had never allowed him to consider the existence of such a thing. It wasn't the _normal_ thing to do. Still, he was already a freak, so he allowed himself the tiniest whisper of a thought, in the darkness of his cupboard, that maybe, _maybe_ magic was real.

He heard Loraina shift positions and turned toward her with a small smile on his face. She was looking out the window, so he had the chance to study her. Her fingers absentmindedly twirled one of her shoulder-length auburn curls as she watched. He supposed that she was pretty, though he'd never had anyone to apply the word to before. Her fair cheeks, which were brushed with a smattering of freckles, were slightly flushed with excitement, her emerald green eyes were shining, and she was bouncing her legs a bit. All in all, he supposed that if he had ever seen a pretty thing, it would be her.

She turned toward him that exact moment. He felt his cheeks red in embarrassment and dropped his gaze to his lap. "So," she began, and his eyes jerked up to meet her friendly gaze, "what class are you most looking forward to?"

"Uh," his cheeks blushed red again; the Dursleys hadn't allowed to to see any of his school things since he had gotten them from Diagon Alley. He thought back to the books he had bought, trying to remember at least one. He thought he had seen a title on- "Potions?" It came out as more of a question than a statement.

Loraina's eyes twinkled at his answer. "Me too," she gushed, "I have been studying my Potions book like mad! I can't believe we'll be taught by Professor Snape; he's the best Potions Master in all of Britain. In fact, he might be the best in the world!"

"Yeah," he said, trying to sound excited. Harry made a mental note to do his best in Potions, even if he had to use his secret power, the one the Dursleys didn't know about, to do it. He made a second mental note to find out if that was actually magic, or just another thing that makes him a freak. "Well," he said, searching for a topic, "what house do you think you'll be in?"

She thought a moment before replying. "I think I'll be in Slytherin," she finally said, a hint of secret amusement in her eyes.

"But, but you can't be in Slytherin!" he blurted out, astonished, "There's not a wizard or witch that went bad that didn't come from there!"

"Who told you that?" she asked sternly, but not unkindly.

"Hagrid did," Harry said slowly, as his surprise faded away.

"Well, this Hagrid needs to check his sources. Harry, no matter what house you're in, it's your choices that define you. If you're meant to be a Slytherin, then that's what you should be. You can be in Slytherin _and_ be good. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Harry nodded, speechless, and she beamed before she went on, "What house do you think you'll be in?"

Harry thought about what he knew of the houses, which wasn't much. _I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor, like Mum and Dad,_ he thought, _but I don't really know anything about the other houses. Maybe I don't belong in any of them. Maybe they won't want me. Maybe they'll see that I really am a freak._ His thoughts spiralled downwards until they hit bottom, and he subconsciously brought his knees up to his chest.

"Harry?" Loraina said softly, her eyebrows creased in concern.

"I don't know what house I'll be in, Loraina," Harry whispered. _I just hope I'll be in a house._

. 

. 

. 

Loraina watched as he retreated into himself. _He's much too skinny,_ she thought, _I really need to make sure he eats. And his eyes, they never stay on one thing. Almost as if he's afraid of something coming up and getting him if he doesn't watch out. He's almost acting like--_

Before she could finish her thought, the door to the compartment slid open to reveal three boys. The one in the middle was small and blond, but the other two were very large for first years. They came in and the blond one glanced around, a haughty sneer on his face, before turning to speak to Loraina.

"Hello," he said in a drawling aristocratic voice, sounding a bit strange on an eleven-year-old, "My name is Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. This is Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. And you are?"

_Ah, that makes sense,_ Loraina thought, amused. "My name is Loraina Philips. May magic bless our acquaintance," she replied with the proper pureblood etiquette.

Draco looked surprised...and suspicious. "And may She smile upon both our households," he replied formally, "Forgive me, but I, uh, don't recognise your surname?"

Loraina's eyes shined with barely concealed mirth as she watched the young Malfoy heir struggle to ask why she knew pureblood customs and yet didn't have a wizarding last name. Fortunately, she'd already planned for this.

"Yes, I would be surprised if you did; it is not one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. My great-grandfather threw out my grandmother when he suspected that she was a squib. My great-grandmother, however, convinced him not to disinherit her. Well, my grandmother was not actually a squib, but a Seer. Because of the rarity of the Sight, she was able to marry into another pureblood family; although, he took her surname. My mother married a Muggleborn wizard and had me. My mother was born as a Nott."

Loraina inwardly smirked at the decidedly uncouth, dumbfounded look on Draco's face at her explanation. "Actually," she went on, "I believe I have a second cousin starting at Hogwarts this year."

Draco finally seemed to regain control of himself then. "Yes, that would be Theodore. Perhaps you will see him at the sorting." he replied in a voice that, though outwardly calm and even, held a note of excitement. He then turned toward the window and started when he finally noticed Harry.

"Hello," Harry said in a very small voice, his knees still against his chest, "we met at Madam Malkin's, right?"

"Yes," Draco replied, eyeing him up and down, "I believe we did. However, I don't recall your name."

"I'm Harry. Harry Potter."

Loraina couldn't suppress a snort at Draco's expression. His mouth had dropped open and his grey eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. At her snort, however, he looked at her as if to say, "You knew this?"

Then his mouth started working properly again. "Well, i-it's a pleasure to meet you. Do you really have the...uh, the...?" he flapped his hand toward Harry's forehead.

"Yeah," Harry said, looking slightly uncomfortable as he lifted the fringe of his messy black hair to reveal the lightning bolt scar, a striking red on his pale skin.

_He doesn't seem to like all this attention,_ Loraina thought, slightly bemused, _Unfortunately, he'll have to deal with it as long as he's in the Wizarding world._

By the time she'd broken out of her thoughts, Draco, Vincent, and Gregory had settled in and we're coaxing Harry more and more out of his shell. She glanced at Draco and saw that he was more relaxed, not feeling that he had to act the part of the aristocratic pureblood heir in the present company.

For the rest of the train ride, Loraina pretended to read her Potions textbook as she watched Draco teach Harry how to play Exploding Snap and other Wizarding games. Harry seemed very wary at first, but appeared to come around little by little; pretty soon he was laughing along with Draco and the others. She settled in, with a smile on her face, to enjoy the remainder of the trip to Hogwarts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise I'll get to the sorting next chapter, along with a new POV! :)
> 
> Standings:  
> Slytherin: 40  
> Ravenclaw: 15  
> Gryffindor: 0  
> Hufflepuff: 0
> 
> Please leave a review along with your House affiliation.  
> Regular reviews = 5pts.  
> Constructive criticism = 10pts.  
> Flames = -5pts.


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I got it up by the new year! Happy 2016!
> 
> All characters, places, and spells that are recognizable belong to the illustrious J. K. Rowling, not me. This is solely for entertainment purposes and I'm not making money from this.  
> I also based (loosely) the "Slytherin rules" off of the ones in Nobody Cared by etherian. Thanks for letting me use them!
> 
> Italics are flashbacks and thoughts.
> 
> Please enjoy!

About halfway through the journey, a knock sounded on their compartment door. It opened to reveal a bushy-haired girl, already dressed in her robes, with a timid, round-faced boy standing behind her.

"Excuse me," the girl said, "I'm Hermione Granger and this is Neville Longbottom. Have any of you seen a toad? Neville seems to have lost his."

Loraina looked up at Draco and Harry, but neither of them had any recognition on their faces. _Accio Neville's toad,_ she cast silently, feeling the toad land in her hand.

She looked back at the boys. Harry seemed to cower away from the newcomers mistrustfully, but had glanced over at Loraina when she cast the spell. Draco, however, had the beginnings of a sneer on his face that stopped when he glanced over at Loraina, who had cleared her throat.

"Yes, I have it right here," she said sweetly, holding out the toad. Neville's face lit up when he saw it.

"Trevor!" he cried joyfully, rushing forward to grab the toad. He blushed a bit at his own reaction, but held Trevor very carefully, nonetheless.

"Thank you," that girl, Hermione, said, "We've looked all over the train for him! All the other compartments are full. Is-" she hesitated, "Is there any room for us in here?"

Loraina smiled and nodded. Hermione smiled with relief and sat down next to her. Neville was much shyer, but soon settled in with the other four boys to play games.

That is how they stayed for the remainder of the trip. Neville pulled out a chessboard, which him and Draco played while the other three looked on. Hermione saw the Potions book that Loraina was reading and proceeded to ask all sorts of questions about it, which led to discussions about the uses of many different ingredients.

 

 

Harry was quite comfortable with everybody by the time the train reached Hogwarts. Draco had reminded him of Dudley at first, but now he seemed brilliant. Harry thought he might be a very good friend. Greg and Vince were okay, but they didn't talk very much and they were very big.

Neville was quite nice, but very quiet. Even quieter than Harry himself! But, he was funny once you got him to open up. Hermione was...smart. Brilliant, in fact. She had read all the schoolbooks already and seemed to have retained every word.

Then there was Loraina. Harry pondered his very first friend (is that what they were?) and couldn't find the words to describe her properly. She seemed familiar, somehow. Safe. It was almost like he knew her from somewhere, but he knew he wouldn't have forgotten her.

They made their way to an enormous lake where Hagrid was waiting with a fleet of boats. He greeted them all and directed them to the boats, four in each. Harry got into a boat along with Loraina, Draco, and Hermione. He glanced around and found that Neville, Greg, and Vince were together in another boat with a red-haired boy.

When the castle came into view, Harry drew in a breath. If he had any doubts before, he now knew for certain that magic was real. The very stones seemed to radiate it. He could feel it soaking into his very being. It was the same feeling he had gotten just after Neville and Hermione entered the compartment, but stronger. Much stronger. This seemed to fill up his entire being.

_Home,_ something in his mind whispered. He believed it too. He could feel that this was the place he was meant to be. He saw that Draco's face seemed to look as awestruck as he felt, as did Hermione's. Loraina's was odd. She was fixated on the castle as well, but it seemed more like she was seeing a very old friend after a long time apart.

Harry wished he could use his secret power to know what she was thinking, but didn't want to risk losing his first friend. So, he settled in to enjoy his first look at the beautiful place he'd spend the next seven years of his life.

 

 

Severus Snape sat at the Head Table awaiting the arrival of the first years, a sneer fixed firmly in place. He hated teaching in the first place, but he knew that this particular year would bring a whole new set of challenges.

_Perfect, pampered, Prince Potter,_ he growled inwardly. He had no doubt that the brat would be just as insufferable and arrogant as his father.

_He's Lily's child too, Severus,_ a softer voice said in his mind, but he ignored it in favor of imagining the ways he'd take the spoiled brat down a peg or two. A smirk appeared on his face at the thought of Potter scrubbing cauldrons for weeks on end. Or, perhaps harvesting the pus from bubotubers. His decidedly disturbing thoughts were interrupted as Minerva strode into the Great Hall, a gaggle of eleven-year-olds trailing behind her.

His dark eyes immediately found the Potter spawn. He was taken aback at how small the child was. He also noticed that he was standing between his godson, Draco Malfoy, and a red-headed girl. She looked up at him at that moment. He drew in a sharp breath. He was staring into eyes the same shade as Lily's. The girl smiled up at him, which brought him back from his state of shock. He replaced the scowl on his face, and turned his attention to Minerva, who was ready to start the Sorting.

The Sorting Hat spouted a silly song, as it does every year, and he paid it no mind. He tuned out, absently clapping, only paying attention once "Slytherin!" was announced. Millicent Bulstrode became his first Snake. Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle were also Sorted into Slytherin, then he heard Minerva announce, "Malfoy, Draco!"

He watched his godson swagger up to the stool, a smirk on his face, and the Hat announced "Slytherin!" after merely brushing the top of his hair. Inwardly, Severus sighed. He cared for his godson, but hoped that he wouldn't start spouting pureblood propaganda. He hoped that he would be able to steer him away from the beliefs of his father and, in turn, the path Lucius took.

He shook himself from his thoughts in time to hear "Philips, Loraina!" He glanced down to see the girl he had noticed earlier walking confidently up to the stool and Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on her head. He was a bit intrigued when she became the newest of his Snakes. She stepped down, smiling, and went to sit beside Draco. He decided to keep an eye on Ms. Philips.

"Potter, Harry!"

He watched as he boy walked uncertainly up to the stage, sat upon the stool, and was adorned with the Hat. _No doubt,_ Severus silently sneered, _he'll be a moronic Gryffindor, just like his father!_

He was suitably shocked, however, that the Sorting Hat spouted, "Slytherin!" He was not the only one shocked, though. The entire Hall had gone silent. A long second later, Ms. Philips began to clap. Draco followed soon after. Only moments later his entire House was applauding, welcoming their new addition. He had never been prouder of his Snakes, but his mind was still reeling, trying to process this new information.

_It seems Mr. Potter will be worth watching after all,_ he thought, his intrigue overpowering the snark that usually permeated his thoughts. He ate the feast in silence, keeping an eye on the new Slytherins and preparing himself to greet his House that evening.

 

 

Severus mentally braced himself, his Occlumency shields firmly in place, before striding into the Slytherin common room. He smirked inwardly when he saw the awed look on the faces of his newest Snakelings; the practice of billowing his robes did come in handy sometimes.

"Welcome, first years, to the noble House of Salazar Slytherin. Before you begin your journey at Hogwarts, I should like to inform you of the rules of our House.

"First, your House is your family. Therefore, you should behave as such. Any inter-House conflict should remain within the common room. Outside these rooms, you are to remain a united front, regardless of your personal issues with one another.

"Secondly, no matter how much you may feel entitled to it," he arched his eyebrow at this, "the common room does not belong to you. Keep your personal belongings neat and in their proper places.

"Thirdly, I will be scheduling a meeting next week with each of you first years. Be in my office at the scheduled time and no later. I will work out the schedule and give you the times no later than Wednesday afternoon.

"Next, I will be giving every student, in the first three years, a study schedule. By your fourth year, I expect you to be capable of managing your time wisely. Following the schedules are mandatory. However, if you feel something needs to be changed, you may come to me privately to make your case. During your study time, I expect you to remain quiet and respectful of the others around you. However, you each will also be assigned an upperclassman who will be your mentor, should you need help with your studies. The prefects will be giving you their names after this meeting.

"Lastly, I expect the first four years to be in their dorms, lights off, by 10pm, the fifth and sixth years by 11pm, and the seventh years by midnight.

"As always comes with rules, there will be punishment if they are broken. If I find that you have broken any of these rules, I will be most displeased," he finished, holding each of their gazes with a firm stare.

When he got to Mr. Potter, he expected to see him unaware and inattentive, as his father would have been, but was surprised to see him listening fully and seemingly absorbing every word. _Maybe he has more of Lily in him than I thought,_ he mused.

"Dismissed. First years, see the prefects," he said and exited the room, robes billowing all the way. Excited talking broke out amongst them, and he heard the prefects beginning to call out names.

By the time Severus made it back to his rooms, it was nearly 9pm. He called a house elf for a cup of tea and went over his lesson plans one more time before finally heading to bed.

 

 

He was woken around 3am to the sound of a blaring alarm. He swore softly, but got out of his bed and headed to the dorms. Not many knew this, but Severus Snape always set wards in the first years' dorms that would alert him if any of his students were having a nightmare. Not that he would ever admit to it.

He made his way to the boys' dorm and silently walked inside. There was no noise coming from any of the beds. But, as he was turning to walk back out, grumbling under his breath about faulty magic, he noticed that Mr. Harry Potter's bed had the covers thrown off of it. He made his way over to his bed.

When he got within three feet, he could hear Potter's whimpers and pleading. _A Silencing Charm?_ Severus thought incredulously, but shook his head to dispel the thought as he reached the boy.

"Mr. Potter," he said firmly, but not unkindly, "wake up. It is just a dream. Wake up!"

Potter's eyes shot open and he sat up, looking wildly around for a moment before realizing where he was. When his eyes landed on Severus, however, he looked embarrassed and a bit frightened.

"I'm sorry I woke you, Professor Snape," he said contritely, and slightly fearfully, looking down at his lap.

"It's quite alright Mr. Potter," he said briskly, "Now, I need you to drink these for me." He held up two bottles: Calming Draught and Dreamless Sleep Potion.

"Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir," Potter said, drinking both vials quickly and laying back down, falling asleep nearly instantly.

Severus sat at his bedside for a few more moments, and brushed the hair back from his face before he realized what he was doing and pulled his hand away. _What could Perfect Prince Potter be having nightmares about?_ he attempted to sneer in his mind, but there was too much genuine intrigue there for him to succeed. Luckily, due to the complex wards, Potter wouldn't remember this in the morning. Severus got up, removed the Silencing Charm, and headed back to his rooms, the enigma that was Harry Potter weighing on his mind.

 

 

Harry woke up the next morning feeling refreshed, not remembering having any nightmares. He felt the lingering touch of fingers on his forehead and felt confused. But he quickly brushed it off in order to get ready for his first day at Hogwarts.

 

 

Loraina was excited for their first Potions lesson on Friday morning. She had enjoyed watching Harry go through his first week of classes. The awe on his face made her tear up so badly that in Charms Professor Flitwick sent her to the nurse, Madam Pomphrey.

However, she did note with concern that his scar flared with pain in their first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson with Professor Quirrell. _Who is definitely not qualified to teach,_ she thought with disdain. The poor, stuttering man left a bad taste in her mouth.

They made their way to the dungeons; her, Harry, and Draco had gotten into the habit of sitting together in every class. As they entered the classroom, they sat together on the four-person bench, leaving the other seat for Neville who, somehow, had made it into Gryffindor.

_I definitely had him pegged as a Hufflepuff,_ Loraina mused until the door burst open and Severus- no, _Professor_ Snape -strode into the room. He went straight into taking the roll call, speaking each name smoothly, until he got to her name. He gave an almost indiscernible stutter, but quickly composed himself and moved on.

He went straight into a speech, which she barely paid attention to, and she wondered how he would handle Harry. On one hand, he had to appear to be the loyal Death Eater, but he also had the reputation of favoring his own Snakes. She sat back and watched how it would play out.

 

 

Harry sat wide-eyed as Professor Snape talked about bottling fame and stoppering death and thought that he wouldn't have to feign his interest in the subject to keep Loraina's friendship. He would try his hardest to excel in Potions.

"Potter!" Professor Snape shouted, making him flinch violently, "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Harry's face colored. He hadn't been able to study any of his schoolbooks because his Uncle had locked them away as soon as he had gotten them. He knew it was time to use his secret power. He looked Professor Snape straight in the eye and searched for the answer.

"The Draught of Living Death, sir," he answered politely, and waited for Professor Snape to continue with the lesson.

 

 

_The boy just performed Legilimency!_ Severus thought incoherently, shocked to the core.

_Pull yourself together, Snape!_ his inner voice reprimanded, _Are you a spy or not?_

He quickly snapped his mouth shut, and the gears in his head began turning. _I wonder how proficient the boy is..._ He his the next answer behind one layer of his Occlumency shields.

"Very good, Mr. Potter," he said silkily, "Now where might I find a bezoar?"

He watched as the boy met his eyes once again and immediately felt his presence in his mind. He felt the boy poke around and eventually find the "edge" of the shield and peeled it away finding the answer.

"In the stomach of a goat, sir," he replied in a polite, yet strangely submissive, voice.

"Right again, Mr. Potter," he smirked, pulling together the full Occlumency shields of an average wizard and asked his final question. "And, pray tell, what is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

As Mr. Potter entered his mind again, he felt the child go immediately to the break in the shield and start tearing away each layer.

_Bloody hell, the boy is strong,_ he thought, barely trying to control his reaction. Harry found the answer in record time and gave the correct answer, in the same manner as before.

"Very good, Mr. Potter. Ten points to Slytherin," he threw a smirk at the Gryffindors, "You see, I hold my Slytherins to a higher standard. Now, why aren't you all writing that down?" he chuckled lowly as the Gryffindor section started scrambling for a quill and parchment.

He continued the lesson, watching every student with a sharp gaze to prevent any major disasters. He saw Neville Longbottom, who was sitting with the three new Snakes he watched the most, try to add the porcupine quills before taking his cauldron off the fire. He was about to stop him when he saw Ms. Philips grab his hand and explain quietly the proper way to do it.

As all the students filed out at the end of the period, he looked at his schedule for meeting with his first years next week. Two names caught his attention, and he sat in silence imagining how the meetings might go, until the next class began filing in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Standings:  
> Slytherin: 50  
> Ravenclaw: 15  
> Gryffindor: 0  
> Hufflepuff: 0
> 
> Please leave a review along with your House affiliation.  
> Regular reviews = 5pts.  
> Constructive criticism = 10pts.  
> Flames = -5pts.


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